In the last entry, "What is the Enneagram?" I talked about the concept of the "strategies" as the core of personality type. Below is a section of the book "Awareness to Action: The Enneagram, Emotional Intelligence, and Change" by Robert Tallon and Mario Sikora that discusses this idea a little more clearly.
Excerpt:
It is important to
understand the difference between strategies, influences, and traits
as they are used in this book.
The discussion of the strategies
and each personality type’s unique relationship to them is the only topic in
this book that should be considered to be true in every case. That is,
the strategies describe inner motivations and apply to everyone of that
personality type. The strategies can be seen as what define the
personality type—a Four, by definition, strives to be unique; a Six strives to
be secure, etc. If Striving to be Unique is not something that is central to
your approach to life, you are not a Four, even if you have some “Four-ish”
traits.
The other sections, such as
the Type at a Glance and The Enneagram Emotional Competencies, describe the
general traits and tendencies of each type that apply to most
people of that type, but perhaps not to all people of that type.
Human beings are very
complicated creatures and each of us has personality traits that are affected
by a number of environmental influences. These influences include
cultural, family, and socio-economic background; psychological health;
emotional intelligence; and so on. These influences cause us all to act
out our strategies in different ways, so people of the same personality type
may exhibit different traits. Some Sixes are loud and aggressive, while
others are quiet and timid; all Sixes, however, are Striving to be Secure. Some
Nines are outgoing and assertive, while others are quiet and withdrawn; but all
Nines are Striving to be Peaceful.
Therefore, it is important
not to make universal statements about the traits of each type. For
example, many Nines enjoy nature, gardening, and the outdoors; but certainly
not all of them do. To understand the types—both your own and others’—focus on
the strategies, and see the traits as common, but not universal,
manifestations of the strategies.
From "Awareness to Action: The Enneagram, Emotional Intelligence, and Change" by Robert Tallon and Mario Sikora
